Rainy Days
by Saki-Sama
Summary: Not-So-One-Shot, Dramatac Refa story. When two forgotten people are brought together by a crule fate, can they survive this sick game known as life to find their happy ending at last? If they can make it through together that is....Read and Review please.
1. Default Chapter

Rainy Days. A one-shot Refa lemon by me, Shattered Crystal Shards.  
  
Just what possessed me to write something so twisted and messed up you ask?  
  
"Reno: What's wrong??? What's wrong???? The grand Tifa is not liking me! I wish for all my life that SOMEBODY will write a fan fiction that is a lemon with me and Tifa. I WILL PAY THEM!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"~Midgar Theartre 5000!  
  
--This ones for you Reno!  
  
Sighing, she pushed the doors aside and entered the bar. Walking to a corner that seemed to have less smoke laden air, and slumped down on a stool in the dimly lit bar and began to get herself lost in her own thoughts.  
  
'...why...why did he just....leave....and he never said goodbye....' She thought, replaying the scene over in her minds eye, getting up out of her warm bed to a silent house, passing his closed door without a word, but noting there was a slight draft, continuing down the dark hallway down the stairs into the kitchen they shared, mornings golden rays of light seeping in through the windows making the colors in the room seem softer.  
  
Then she got a strange feeling, turning around sharply sending her long brown hair fraying out behind her as her crimson orbs sparkled in the sunlight, a deep expressing of worry crossed her face as she ran up the stairs to his room.  
  
His mahogany door blew open from a gust of the cool wind that swept through the house thanks to the open window.  
  
He was gone.  
  
"....Cloud...." She said softly, falling to her knees on the cold, wooden floor. Tears streamed down her cheeks dispute her efforts not to cry, ".....your gone...but this time, this time there is no promise....this time I know you wont....you wont ever come back...." She sadly got up, walking over to the open window and shutting it closed, her shoulders slumped in defeat as she made her way down the stairs and out the door.  
  
Tifa ordered a drink in a monotone voice, leaning head in hands with her elbows resting on the slightly sticky bar table, she sighed and grasped the glass of golden liquid in her other hand. She drank it all at once in a attempt to silence her many thoughts, but one drink seemed not able to give her that effect alone, so she ordered another one.  
  
The night passed slowly this way, another thought of her blue eyed blond, followed by yet another drink.  
  
It must have been well onto midnight when Tifa realized she carried not a single gil on her, in fact Cloud took all the money when he left.  
  
"Shit!" She exclaimed, banging her free hand on the table and downing the drink in her other hand. Turning her head to the far right she noted the clock, it was in fact well past midnight and near closing time.  
  
"Even better..." she said, then swallowing up all of the pride she had since he left, she got down on her knees and began to search the sticky tiled floor for any dropped gil. Finding a single coin stuck in something that looked like gum on the floor some time later, she turned all her attention to retrieving it and took no notice of the voice that was yelling at her.  
  
"Hey, Mrs. Strifey!!" Called somebody sitting on a stool to her right, she unstuck and pocketed the gil, and was about to get up back to her seat when the voice called out to her again. She got up swiftly and was about to severally harm the person to mention her in that way, when she was greeted by the smugly grinning face of Reno.  
  
"Hey Tifa baby," He said, brushing some fiery red locks of hair out of the way of his sparkling teal eyes that were scanning the area around her, "Long time no see, so wheres the Strifey-Wifey?" He asked playfully. At the mention of Clouds whereabouts, Tifa collapsed to her knees on the bar floor and buried her face in her hands once more, sniffing back her sobs.  
  
Reno was taken completely aback, the smile wiped from his face and replaced with an expression of confusion. "Hey babe, I was only joking..." He said, shifting in his seat, not used to meeting Tifa Lockheart in a bar every night, or having her break down like this. His silent prayers to the gods were answered when Tifa stopped her crying and sat down beside him.  
  
"Tifa..." He started to say, when she slammed the one sticky gil down on the table and started to yell.  
  
"Its not fair!! He just left!! Gone without a word!!! Probably because he doesnt give a shit about me...just her. Cloud just left me here again to die knowing I have no money to pay my goddamn tab and its closing time and I only have one stupid gil!!" She said, throwing the gil behind her and blinking back tears again, leaving Reno dumbstruck.  
  
"Babe, you can do a hell of a lot better then spikey ass, and if he left its his own goddamn fault for being a retarded sob of a jerk off." Reno replied, this time deciding that it wasnt the time for his ideas, taking advantage of Tifa like this wasnt right, and in the morning she would most likely beat him to a bloody pulp.  
  
"Thanks Reno...." She said, and realizing this was as nice as anybody had been since Cloud left, and that it was very un-Reno like of him to say anything like that, 'well then...might as well do something un-Tifa like...' she thought, resting her head on his shoulder.  
  
"Yeah, uh your welcome...hey its closing time so..." He said, throwing some gil down on the table and walking away leaving her sitting alone. 'Its just not right...she's probably drunk or something...' he thought, pushing aside the doors and getting greeted by the cool nighttime breeze, buttoning up his blue suit when he realized it was raining and shivering a bit. Then something soft and warm on his back and soft hands pulling him into a hug, stiffening up he pulled away and saw Tifa standing behind him.  
  
"Tifa I cant-"He started to say, but was cut of as she stood on her tip toes to be eye to eye with him, then her soft lips pressed onto his with all the force of a butterfly. It was that one little kiss that nearly killed Reno, as he thought 'To hell with it all...' and deepened the kiss, pulling her body closer to his and licking at her soft lips almost pleading for entry, she was not one to oblige.  
  
She teased him by pulling out of his grasp and motioning for him to follow, they ran through the wet streets until they reached her house, she fumbled a bit as she placed the key in the lock and turned the door, closing he behind her she turned around.  
  
Reno had his arms on both sides of her head pinning her between him and the door and licked at her bottom lip then slid his tongue in her mouth and tangled it with hers. She felt Reno's hands go around her waist and pull her in and she responded by putting her arms around his neck.  
  
Tifa moaned slightly in his mouth and pushed Reno back, she tried to direct him to another room as Reno nuzzled her neck as he draped his arms around her trying to warm her wet and cold body, they stumbled through the door and collapsed onto the soft bed.  
  
"Mmm, I better get those wet clothes off you..." Reno said with a smirk, beads of rain dripped of his red locks of hair as he leaned down to kiss Tifa again, then pulled her soaking wet tank top over her head and tossed it aside and admired what he had just uncovered. He planted a trail of feverish kisses from her lips to her breasts and burred his face in her soft cleavage as she kicked off her shoes and ran her hands through his wet and tangled hair as she shivered a bit.  
  
"You cold?" He said, snaking his way back up so they were face to face.  
  
"Mm, not for long." She said with a smirk, rolling over to lay on top of him then undoing the buttons on his shirt, opening it up and running her hands down his muscular, handsome body as he unclasped her bra, tossing it aside and pressing her soft and warm body against his.  
  
Tifa could feel his manhood growing and pressing on her thigh and it was just making her hotter and wetter, she moved down out of his embrace and slid his pants down his legs and tossed them aside with the growing pile of discarded clothing as she ran her hands over the bulge in his boxers he moaned a little and pinned her back down.  
  
"You're a little overdressed babe." He said, pulling her black skirt down her legs as she kicked it aside and then felt his fingers grasp her panties as the lace caressed her skin before leaving her completely naked before his eyes. He smirked as he looked at her, "Gods Tifa, your so beautiful." he said, and laughed as she blushed a little.  
  
Slowly he massaged her left breast in his hand and moved his mouth over the other, licking and sucking her nipple until it became hard and her breathing became heavier as she moaned in pleasure then annoyance when he stopped.  
  
Then moving his hand down to part her legs a bit and stroke her womanhood, slipping his tongue beneath her folds and tasting her sweet sent as she gasped and pushed his head in deeper with her hands tangled in his hair and screaming out his name which only drove him further in trying to lick every area possible, then he sucked on her clit like he did her breasts and got a slight scream for his actions as he plunged a finger deep into her slit.  
  
Tifa felt her orgasm building and couldnt hold it in any longer, Reno released her clit, removing his fingers from inside her and licked up her sweet tasting fluids, enjoying it to the fullest. He could hear her breathing start to slow down and get softer as her body stopped shuddering from the orgasm. Licking his fingers he moved back up so that he was again directly atop her, face to face.  
  
She had her eyes closed feeling the waves of pleasure from the last orgasm wash away. Tifa, feeling Reno was on top of her, slowly opened her eyes to stare into his. Leaning up to kiss him, she could taste and smell herself on him which excited her even more for what was still to come.  
  
"Reno..." She said, panting a little, "done for the night already?" She joked.  
  
"Naw babe, just getting started." He said, flicking his hair and giving her a sloppy kiss on the cheek as he kicked away his boxers and threw them away as well.  
  
"Mmm...your turn, I cant have all the fun now can I?" Tifa said, pushing his back on the mattress and nuzzling the crook of his neck as she ran her hands along his firm chest and lay them over his shaft, stroking it up and down as he moaned and tangled her legs in his as she tickled his balls.  
  
Looking a little hurt as she got up and walked down to the foot of the bed, but then gasped as she kissed the tip of his erection and then wrapped her breasts all the way around it, moving them up and down slowly filling him with pleasure as he moaned when she stopped and flipped her over, brushing her entrance with his shaft tickling and teasing her.  
  
"Reno!" Tifa giggled, "your so mea-Mmmm..." She said, as he plunged into her and she arced her back upwards signaling him to start.  
  
Reno thrusted up and down as Tifa's legs wrapped around his back pulling him back into her and almost let out a scream as his shaft dug deep inside her, she could feel it grow as she moved her hips back and forth to match his movements. Reno buried his face in her cleavage once more as he moved faster and faster, sucking on her breast as she ran her hands up and down his body. Reno could feel her walls tighten around him as she screamed out his name, but didn't slow down as he was on just upon his own climax. Thrusting into her one last time he muffled out his scream by nuzzling his head this time deeper into her neck as he sent his seed into her and for those moments, they both were in pure ecstasy.  
  
Reno stayed inside her, to tired to do anything else but lay on her warm body and kiss her cheek. Pulling out at last he rolled over beside Tifa, the moonlight from the window fell softly upon her skin and made her eyes sparkle as she looked into his, she smiled her sweet smile at him and placed a soft kiss on his lips.  
  
Reno could believe what had just happened, so he held her face in his hands to make sure it wasent just a dream, rubbing her smooth skin with his thumb he kissed her again and wrapped his arms around her waste closing the gap between them, Tifa nuzzled his neck and sighed happily in his arms.  
  
"So, you forget about Strifey yet? Or do we need to continue...?" He asked looking down at her with a sly smile as he kissed her forehead. "I think he just popped...right back...into mind..." Said Tifa, rolling on top of him with a sly smile across her face.  
  
The End. 


	2. At The Cliffs Edge With Open Arms

Rainy Days. A not-so-one-shot Refa lemonady story by me, Shattered Crystal Shards.  
  
Just what possessed me to write something so twisted and messed up you ask? Well I said it once, so I'll say it again......This one's for you Reno!  
  
Chapter two, at the cliffs edge with open arms.  
  
But first, some quick notes....  
  
Okay, so I lied. *points* - "The End." was a lie. I'll just keep writing chapters to this whenever I get a idea, and I got an idea, thus this chapter.  
  
Special thanks to my first and so far only reviewer, The Vampire Evangeline. And because I've finally gotten a bit of free time on my hands, I'll write a fan fiction just for you! Of course it has to be about FF7, just send the pairings and a bit of the plot either to me or in a review, or whatever, and I'll do the rest.  
  
Think of it as a 'thanks for being the first reviewer' gift.  
  
Now, enough of my pointless ranting and onto the story!  
  
The golden rays of morning light seeped in through the curtains chasing away the darkness and illuminated the room as they played across the calm features of the peacefully sleeping red head, who's sleep was broken as a moan escaped his lips.  
  
He smiled when he saw the sleeping girl in his arms, that sweet smile of her's still graced her beautiful face. It was just something about Tifa that made him forget all his problems, his nightmares, and his blood stained hands that he thought were unfit to touch another human being.  
  
Yet here she was, in his arms, it was the most blissful thing in the world.  
  
'Damn it, I've gotten all emotional and shit....' he thought, looking down at the sleeping Tifa and kissing her on the cheek before pulling back the sheets and tucking her in before making his way out the door and down the dark hallway to the bathroom.  
  
"What the hell's gotten into me..." He mumbled, after all he was Reno Tarshil of the Turks, drunken womanizer and proud of it, master of the one- night flings, and that's all the others had seen him as, so what made Tifa so different?  
  
The way she looked at him that's how, sure they had their differences in the past, but it was as if she didn't even care anymore, like she saw something else in him that so many others people overlooked.  
  
Damn that sounded so fucken cliche.  
  
But was it true? Or was she just looking for something to take her mind of Strife?  
  
Yeah, that last one was right, after all why should she give a shit about him? Nobody does after all.  
  
Many miserable thoughts later Reno exited the bathroom ready to leave the house all together, but he remembered that his clothes were left in her room, so he turned around and put on his best icy expression as he pushed aside the door with a lot more force the necessary only to find Tifa was awake already.  
  
And she was sitting on the floor.  
  
And she was crying.  
  
'Oh shit....' Though Reno, as he rushed to her side and wrapped his arms around her as she wiped her tear stained eyes and attempted to calm herself.  
  
"Tifa.......what's wrong?" He asked, but unknown to his knowledge was that at the very moment he walked into the door she had succeeded in melting away his toneless, expressionless composure. In its place was something Reno had long since abandon....  
  
"I-I'm so s-sorry Reno..." She started to say in a weak voice, leaning her head on his shoulder, deciding it was a very nice pillow.  
  
"For what babe?" He asked, stoking her long silky hair as the sweet sent of flowers found its way to his nose.  
  
"F-for..." She said, wondering if it was right to tell him now or not, in the end it didn't matter as he cut her off.  
  
"Crying? Naw." He said, lifting her chin up and planting a kiss on her forehead.  
  
"T-thanks...." She said, planting her sweet lips onto his for a moment, then getting up and getting dressed before leaving the room.  
  
"Hey, what's the hurry?" He asked, following her down the hall.  
  
"Breakfast of course!" Tifa said, cracking the fridge and rummaging around for the milk and eggs, then reappearing and turning around to face the smirking Turn behind her "Are you hungry?"  
  
"Haha, never ask that question when you know the answer." He said, snatching the milk carton out of her hands and drinking straight from it, only to receive a light punch to the shoulder by a laughing Tifa, as she took it back and poured it in a bowl with the eggs and pancake mix, mixing it around as Reno latched himself into her in a hug.  
  
Tifa laughed at him after spearing a dab of the pancake mix on his nose, then dogging away from him to grab a frying pan and cook the breakfast, in no time at all the kitchen was filling with the sweet smells of Tifa's cooking as the two ate in no time at all.  
  
Days passed like that and neither of them seemed to find the others company, Reno would often say that "It's that damn cooking of your's babe! It's drugged so I cant get enough 'o the stuff!!" and Tifa in turn would reply as "So what if it is? There's lots of milk cartons to be drunken and plenty rooms to mess up for you here, and we all know how I love cleaning." or make a joke about his hair, those bothered him the most. Either way it kept Reno happy and Tifa sane, so it was good enough for them.  
  
But it is said that all good thing's soon come to an end...  
  
It was just another normal day, the dark grey clouds were slowly being pulled into the unbroken azure sky by the annual chilly autumn winds that blew across the small town now sprung up in the place of Midgar's metal city, the damages from meteor left the land with many deep fissures that were filled with the sharp, bones of all that was left of the glamorous upper world plates and ShinRa's prized creation.  
  
Tifa's house backed onto one of these fissures, and for once grass graced the land blown by the breezes that cleared away the smog of the past city. She was running a little late from the town, grocery bags in hand as her hair was blown behind her as was her dress. She picked up the pace a bit when the small crystal clear drops of rain broke free from the clouds above her head, slowly she reached her house, it was only absentmindedly that she happened to glance into the backyard.  
  
Her eyes widen and she dropped the grocery bags on the dirt path leading up to the door, some canned items spilled out of the bag and were rolled a ways of by the now howling winds, but Tifa did not care instead ran through the newly awakened mud and across the wet grass till she reached the cliff backing off to the large fissure where she was paralyzed in her step and speech.  
  
It was....it was...Cloud...?  
  
"Cloud!!" She called out at last, causing the tall blond figure to turn around slowly and face her. His beautiful blue eyes, so alike the sky and the stars were dulled and drained of all sparkling happiness or life, his sunny blond hair was faded and dripping wet, matted to his face with bags under his eyes and many cuts grading his ivory skin.  
  
He forced a himself into a weak, tired smile.  
  
But she didn't smile back. '...Cloud....what happened...how could you let this happen....' she thought, too many things running through her head and not nearly enough words in which to speak them, so she said nothing, but took one step forwards.  
  
"Tifa...." He started, his voice, that sweet laughing voice was gone, replaced with the raspy whisper of a broken man, a voice belonging to the corpse of the living, a voice belonging to the ashes oh the already dead.  
  
It was tearing her heart apart to see him like this, but she said nothing, for that was all she could do, besides take another step forward.  
  
"She's gone....." He said bitterly, flinching as the very words coming out of his mouth felt like so many swords through his heart.  
  
"I...I know....b-but....." The words barely escaped her lips, and breaking free they sounded no louder then his own whispering.  
  
"But she still talks to me...." He said, eyes glossing over slightly.  
  
"S-she...no she c-cant..." Tifa stopped, this was impossible, it cant be happening.  
  
"She does Tifa...she tells me things...." Cloud said, his voice was sincere.  
  
"N-no...it...c-cant be...." One step forward, one small step towards him as the wind roared harder whipping freezing rain at the two, battering and stinging them like all so many small daggers.  
  
"She wants me to go see her...." He took a step backwards, closing the gap between him and the cliff.  
  
"N-no Cloud...." He was going to do it....going to jump? 'Why....?'  
  
"She's lonely Tifa...." He said, his dull and vacant eyes shimmered back to life slightly at the mention of her.  
  
"B-but...I-I want y-you to s-stay...." 'What about me? What about my loneliness....?'  
  
"I cant Tifa...." 'Don't make this any harder for me then you...'  
  
"P-please...." 'Don't leave Cloud....don't die...don't go...just stay....' "I will fly to her on my wings..." He said, sounding sure of himself more then anything else in his life.  
  
"Y-you don't..... h-have...." 'What are you talking about?! Cloud, don't, you cant really....'  
  
"Yes, I have the other wing, I can go see her..." 'I'll see her smile again....'  
  
"D-don't....g-go...." 'I'll never see you...again....'  
  
"I can be happy...." 'At last maybe I finally can....'  
  
"But...c-cant you b-be...h-happy here....?" 'Why...why couldn't I make you happy before....?'  
  
"I can't Tifa, I tried, but I hear her calling me every night..." 'In my dreams...always she comes...' "C-cloud...." 'I-its not possible...she...she's dead Cloud....why cant you accept that....?'  
  
"I'm going now....to the promise land...." He said, looking up at the sky with a fragment of hope growing in his eyes.  
  
"N-no....p-please Cloud...." Tifa started to walk faster to the edge of the cliff, he backed up suddenly.  
  
"Goodbye Tifa."  
  
Cloud smiled once again, that carefree smile of his that lights up any room, then he turned his back, and with open arms he took another step.  
  
Tifa's screams were lost in the raging winds as he walked forward, stepping on air instead of ground, and then he started falling.  
  
Falling forwards with open arms, and that smile still on his face.  
  
She screamed again, and desperately ran to the edge of the cliff.  
  
Tifa started to jump off the cliff.  
  
She was ready to fall with him, all the way down to its sharp, metal floors.  
  
But something stopped her.  
  
Reno was also screaming her name, running into the storm to stop her.  
  
But, he was afraid he couldn't make it.....  
  
......and he would lose her forever.....  
  
With a rapid dive forwards he slammed them both down onto the soaking wet earth just before the drop off.  
  
Cloud continued falling.  
  
Tifa let out a long antagonizing scream as the sounds of metal ripping through flesh cut straight through the winds and to her ears.  
  
Then everything was silent.  
  
But, there were no wings....  
  
.....there was no Aeris.....  
  
This time, there was no happy ending. 


	3. Crimson Clouds

Rainy Days A not-so-one-shot Refa psychotic and emotional story by me, Shattered Crystal Shards.  
  
Haha, well I hope that last chapter didn't managed to scare away too many readers, or the fact Cloud plummeted to his death because Aeris was "talking to him".  
  
Just to clear that up, no she never did, the poor guy was just losing his mind, that's all. And I think most of us can relate in some way, well...not the "flying" off of the edge of the cliff.  
  
Oh, please don't try that at home.  
  
Now, I'm not a review beggar or anything, but its always nice to get some input, flames as well, even if its just to tell me how messed up this story is, how crappy of a 'writer' I am, suggest more lemonade, whatever. And special thanks goes out to Rikku, I commend you as well for giving me such a nice review, it made my day and this chapter.  
  
So, review? Or not? At least keep reading, for it gets more *Cough* interesting from here.....  
  
Ha, its just occurred to me now I've never done a disclaimer, well I own everything short of nothing, sue if you want, but don't expect to get much.  
  
Now, onto the catastrophe formerly known as a story.  
  
It was hours before the clouds lifted and the rain stopped, the full moon's guiding light seeped through the light blanket covering the gray sky. The wind died down, and the frost rolled in, yet there they sat on the edge of the cliff on the soaking wet grass.  
  
Unaware of the time, or let alone the world around them.  
  
Reno was the first to stand up, he grasped her hands and noticed they were ice cold, dripping wet and slaking slightly. He pulled her up onto her feet, he felt a growing pain in his stomach to see the once optimistic, strong and graceful Tifa Lockheart this way, as a limp, lifeless, rag doll. "Lets go inside..." He said calmly, her head bobbed down slightly, as her dripping wet hair sling to her body through the thin fabric of the dress, as her eyes were transfixed at nothing, glossed over and missing their usual chocolate-covered-cherry spark of life. He pulled her along back to the house, opening the door to be greeted by a friendly wave of warmth, pulling her inside and wrapped a towel around her frozen body as he set her down on a chair in the kitchen.  
  
Walking up the stairs and past Cloud's old room, the door was almost always closed now, just like her heart. And after this it was surely to be bolted shut. He shrugged and walked on to the bathroom to change his clothes, that oblivious expression plastered all over his face.  
  
It was no big deal, just another death, no big deal at all for him.  
  
It was the first time when he had started out as a Turk that deaths effected him. Crouching behind a garbage disposal to evade the line of fire, it was his first mission and first day on the job. He heard somebody yell in pain to his right, Tseng had taken a bullet to the arm, he never stopped to think, running rapidly as his feet grazed across the pavement he jumped in front of the leader, took out his shotgun and....  
  
The sound was like thunder rattling his ears, the speeding metal blur punctured the attacker right between the eyes, then he fell over forwards onto Reno as his blood spilled all down the brand new blue suit, staining not only the cloth but his shaking hands.  
  
After that mission they headed back to ShinRa, Reno uttered not one word as the elevator ascended to the floor that was their own, occupied with their offices, a training area with showers.  
  
He quickly shed the blood stained clothes and locked himself inside the shower, the hot water rapidly poured down onto him as the stream broke on the top of his head, soaking his hair and running down his body to run down the drain and the pale white ceramic tiles in a thick, crimson river.  
  
Red, all red, he was covered with it.  
  
Reno grabbed a sponge and began to lather the soap all over himself, scrubbing his flesh raw in an attempt to remove the mans blood from his pale body.  
  
It just wouldn't come off, never, this blood would never wash off of him completely, it seeped deep into his pores and melded with his own blood, like a poison ever pumping through his veins as a lasting reminder of the monster he was.  
  
Hours later he was still rubbing the sponge across his chest as he lay on the cool tiles at the bottom of the shower, his body was convulsing and his limbs were numb as he realized at last that the hot stream of water was now icy cold.  
  
He slowly got up and turned the water off, walking out and wrapping a towel around himself as he caught his reflection in a mirror. His skin was wrinkled and pale, his lips were purple and he still couldn't let go of the blood he saw on himself.  
  
And that man's ghastly reflection beside him in the mirror, gun raised, Reno made a fist and shattered the glass.  
  
He fell to the ground as his knees gave way, along with the silver rain of the mirrors shattered crystal shards that glowed brightly before falling to the tiled floor along with raindrops of blood. Tseng walked in and held out a hand to Reno, who intertwined his bloody fingers in with his pale ones as he was pulled off the floor and onto his feet.  
  
"I....s-sorry sir...." He whispered, looking down at the broken mirror.  
  
"Its alright, you should get dressed less you become ill." Tseng replied calmly.  
  
"I-It...never gets any easier.... does it....?" He asked, a shimmer of hope reflected into his eyes from the broken shards.  
  
"No, you just get used to it. One after the other until you start to feel nothing, just numbness."  
  
"...dead inside just the guy you shot...." He mumbled more to himself then Tseng.  
  
"But it is better then this, come on." He said, gesturing to the door.  
  
"How is it better dammit?!" Reno screamed, "How?!!"  
  
"It just is...." Tseng said softly, walking swiftly out of the door and into his office.  
  
But in the end it never got easier, you just got less humane. You get up out of bed and put on the blue suit, another day and another death. It became a routine for him, one that he could never break out of. Each day was another shovel of dirt scraped out of the hole he was digging himself, soon to be filled with his own coffin and covered with dirt.  
  
Out of sight, out of mind. Just like all those other million, and maybe more, people he killed and completely forgot about the next day.  
  
Supposing he even knew their names in the first place.  
  
Just aim, squeeze the trigger, and then it was all over, another day another death another paycheck.  
  
Just more bloody money being shoved into his crimsoned stained hands that dealt out so many deaths and losses over the years, all that he never felt any remorse or sympathy for.  
  
His heart simply could not take it, so in the back of his mind it remained, hovering over him everyday like a shadow that was ignored because he was numb to it.  
  
He was completely oblivious, to the pain, the loss, the suffering and his own human heart.  
  
And she was the same now, just another doll tired of this dance.  
  
No, not Tifa, he couldn't let that happen to her, never. What was this? For the first time in his life he placed somebody else before himself, cared about them, and maybe something else....  
  
....maybe even love.....  
  
Just maybe, if it was even possible for him to feel anything, let alone love. But he was certain of one thing, everything in his life was fucked up and he didn't so much as give it a second though, but this, whatever it was, was something he wasn't going to fuck up, no, not this time. Something inside him was thawed out again, this determination was burning inside him, he was going to help her, to save her from herself before she became what he once was.  
  
She had helped him claw his way out of his coffin and craw out of the damp earth until he saw daylight once again, and now she was falling, and he would be there to catch her.  
  
Then maybe these crimson rain clouds will lift, and they will be able to see the sunshine again, together.  
  
'Yeah, that's right,' He thought as his the ice in his heart thawed and melted at that last word he couldn't help but say aloud, "...together." 


	4. Crystal Tears of Teal Eyes

Rainy Days Refa fan fiction, by the author who owns everything yet nothing, Shattered Crystal Shards.  
  
Lets kick things of with a big thanks to the latest reviewer, Jaysinya, thanks so much for the comments, I especially liked the one referring to the first chapter, that made me smile.  
  
Like this - ^_^  
  
That being said, I take pride in being the writer of this different, sad and angsty story.  
  
But, these chapters just get shorter and shorter, it seems a lot longer on my word perfect editor, but then I read it and think I can write more then that, so this time I'll try for a longer chapter, and if not I apologize and will follow up with another one soon.  
  
And, sadly three chapters in and im losing ideas for drastic events, such as the bar, Cloud's psychological trauma that lead to death, est...  
  
But, I have some ideas for another one-shot, and this time when I say one- shot I mean one chapter, unlike this one, that expanded, but oh well. Its either going to be a Tifa and Rufus (There's not enough of these.) Tifa and Sephiroth (Well, as a challenge you know, and plus there is lots unwritten about the trauma of Sephiroth.) Somebody and Cloud (Because I feel bad about making him insane, then killing him...and sadly he's one of my most favorite characters from the game.) Or...well, I don't know, but Im always open to suggestions.  
  
And, enough of this babbling and onto what you really came here to read...more authors notes! Naw, just kidding, here's the story....but a warning first, this is a angsty chapter, and it mostly revolves Reno's thoughts and that said is warning enough for people who don't like mild profanity, and its short, 'long writing like this means a persons thoughts btw', /one word/ or so is just for the impact, but ah well here it is all the same:  
  
Drying his flaming red hair with a damp towel he pulled on another white cotton shirt, one that was just as creased and lived in as the last, Reno made a feeble attempt at gathering his scattered thoughts as he walked down the wooden stairs to where Tifa was last sitting when he left, wrapped up in the faded yellow towel.  
  
And she was just that, sitting exactly where he had left her, just sitting and staring off into space, her once lively dark chocolate melted orbs dulled out and cooled over, transfixed at the grandfather clock hung onto the bright walls of the kitchen as she moved in her own world, avoid to the time and place around her. The new autumn dress was dripping wet and clung to her shaking body, the towel was thrown over her shoulders and her hands lay limp at her sides, but the thing that snapped his beating heart in two was her expression.  
  
Tifa, the bright, smiling, optimistic, caring women tho melted his heart with her own hearts overflowing kindness wore the very same icy expression that once haunted him in the mirror. That empty expression with no feelings or hope, like a stuffed out candle in an inky black darkness, its light extinguished like all hope, like the cold, unforgiving crystal daggers of this nights rain that could either cleanse or kill.  
  
It was a pity there was nothing remotely cleansing about this rain, this bloody rain that poured out in a thick stream from the crimson clouds above our heads, as it tore through flesh and bone exposing raw emotion in the stinging, throbbing flesh. Rain that reopened old wounds and unleashed another wave of fresh new pain, this time the effect was that of throwing a stone into a still pond, this pain would come back again, ripple after ripple until you got used to it, and slowly it went away.  
  
But that's not true, pain like this /cant/ go away, it will /never/ go away.  
  
Its your very /emotions/ that go away.  
  
It broke his heart to see her this way, to see her lost in her own world, drowning in the sand from the hourglass as it fell down upon her the longer she stayed lost in the memories, until finally there was too much sand, and she would find herself alone and wandering a barren desert.  
  
And by then, it was far too late.  
  
Everything in Reno's life was, in his own words, /fucked/.'My own goddamn family, fucked! My job, a fuckin nightmare!! My reputation, fucked up and dragged through the fuckin dirt!!' His heart met the same fate as those other elements, but it was her that saved him from having another thing in his life dead, gone and yes, /fucked/ as well.  
  
But he would be dammed to sit by and watch as Cloud had succeeded, with flying colors, at /fucking up/ her life, her /happy/ life.  
  
And not after she had saved his own life that night....  
  
True, Tifa never did find out what exactly he was doing at the bar late that night, and it was a good thing that during that nights..../activities/....that she didn't happen to find the bottle of pills in the inside pocket of his dark blue jacket.  
  
That's right./Pills/. You do the math, what does alcohol, and lots of it, plus a bottle of pain killers do to a person?  
  
Exactly what he was planning to do that night, find a quick way out of this never ending (/Fucken/) nightmare that was his reality.  
  
After all, its just another death, no big deal, even if it was his own, and at his very hands.  
  
At the time it seemed like the only way out of ths grave he had bug himself over the years, labeled as the drunkard, womanizer, and heartless killer, he had just about enough of it.  
  
Each day he thought about starting over, never not even once was he /proud/ of what he had done in the past, all he wanted was a new start, a fresh start to try and make everything right in his life, or at the very least a bit better. But, his reputation followed him everyday and everywhere, and finally to a point where that was all people say him as.  
  
By then, a change seemed impossible, however death seemed very plausible.  
  
And, there was nobody around to miss him anyways, Elena had Tseng (Or so she said over the PHS, something about being able to save him in time, to be completely honest Reno was not really paying too much close attention to the rookie's babbling this time.) and Rude was off on another mystery job out of sight and out of his life, leaving Reno to his lonesome.  
  
Well, almost, with the exception of an unexpected meeting of the lone Avalanche fighter. That night Tifa was, strangely enough, in the very same situation as himself, but she would never admit it to anybody else, as would Reno.  
  
As for why she bothered with him, that he would never understand. 'People come and people go, family leaves and friends grow apart...' in the end for him it seemed no matter what happened he stood alone thinking all the time, 'but what the hell, I didn't need anybody anyways, fuck them all to hell....' but that turned out to be the complete opposite from what he really needed.  
  
And he needed her, that's for sure. Tifa was the only one person to hand him that second chance to at least wash some of the blood stains off his hands, to turn the other way and see something in him that was hidden under years worth of accumulated layers of icy scum and dried blood, and after all the hell he put her through she was willing to wave it all aside just like that, she was the single only person to uncover his discarded heart and cast aside the past he tried too hard to forget, she gave him a new life, and one worth living.  
  
But now...but now, he feared she was losing her very life, or lost it already as the last link to her past was severed, it was enough that he walked out in the middle of the night, but this...this was just too much.  
  
And for the first time in god knows how long, something stirred in the back of his eyes as the pain in his heart welled up and erupted in the form of hot, blinding tears blurring his teal gaze, once a gaze unbroken and emotion ridden, now one overflowing with sadness as he could see her crying too, not on the outside maybe, but crying tears in her bleeding heart. Not making even the slightest sound out loud, but antagonizing screams were echoing through her mind, over and over and over as those fresh new ripples of pain shattered the pond of her stigmatized crystal tears as the obvious pain was reflected deep into her wine colored gaze.  
  
Another dagger to his already shredded heart no doubt. If only he could cast his broken heart aside as well, for now only this burning crimson sadness pours from it, but without it he could never feel the joy when he saw her smile, that smile of pure happiness, such a simple thing that he could never really put into words that justified it to its full extent, and that simple smile alone was just enough to steady him through this.  
  
Even if it was another fake smile to mask her real emotions, even if it was just a lit to hide the twisted hate for this horrible life, it was still a smile none the less, and in the end it's the simplest things that can make a big difference in this cruel world.  
  
Cruel, and about to get even crueler.  
  
Not if I can help it...  
  
Wiping aside the tears streaking his face with the sleeve of his shirt he did the only thing he could do, pulled Tifa into a tight embrace with his protective arms wrapped around her shaking, numb figure, they stayed like for hours, until she was warmed and stilled from the convulses, but he still pressed her body onto his, like a lifeline of sorts he cling to her firmly, not just to pull her back but to make sure nothing could take her 


	5. To Cast Aside a Nightmare

Rainy Days.  
The dramatic Refa soap opera-ish story that almost always has something witty under the title.  
  
Part 5 of 5: The Ending.  
  
A Legend of sorts: "Talking", 'thinking', /strong impact on a word/, add- ins for the heck of it.  
  
Also, seems to me like there is always too many authors notes, and I have no more witty babble to babble about, so this chapter is just straight to the story:

* * *

What a strange sight it was to be seen, the cold hearted and equally cold blooded murder of a Turk, clinging onto the distraught Avalanche member as if his and her very life depended on it, however that just happened to be the case. The deep set wooden grandfather clock that cling to the cheery yellow wallpaper of the cozy east-facing kitchen shimmered in thousands of light and dark browns as the dawns warm, yellow tinted light slowly seeped in through the double windows that were above the empty sink, the grandfather clocks hands settled their dance of ticking and tocking at the hour, as it chimed once, twice, and then four more times in a row signaling the present time as the sweet sound rang through the house.   
  
....morning bells are ringing...   
  
Once -or once upon a time if you wish- when things were normal, Tifa was always first to rise at dawn every day. She promptly got dressed and tip- toed down the dimly lit hall being extra careful not to set the old wooden floor boards a creaking, to insure Reno can savor his last few moments of blissful sleeping-in that she knew he favored so much.   
  
Walking on the banister side of the stairs and gliding swiftly to the back door to retrieve her sweater from its place hung up on the wall, Tifa would turn the knob of the hand carved and adorned door and slowly but ever-so carefully, and then place the small golden shining key into the keyhole and lock up behind her as she stepped outside and took in a deep breath of the fresh, morning air. Her eyes locking onto the sight before her with amazement at the bright yellow orb rising in the dark blue sky, setting it aglow with colors as the rays danced along the planet in waves of the most imaginable shades of pink and yellow.   
  
Intertwining her fingers and stretching out her arms behind her back, Tifa would then start her walk down the dew laden grass of the back yard and cross over onto the paved pathway, returning to the house later on with some groceries in hand, or perhaps a dozen fresh glazed doughnuts from the bakery instead as a treat.   
  
Entering the house once more Tifa would hang up her sweater and make her way to the kitchen, gathering pots and pans and mixing cups as she blended the flower, eggs and other assorted items into a bowl, mixing it all until it was of creamy consistency, then turning the stove on as it heated up the pre-greased metal pan, when the pancake mix hit its hot surface it would sizzled and started to slowly brown on the underside. Spatula in hand waiting for the pancakes to turn the light golden brown color before she turned them, Tifa would rummage into the cupboards for plates and maple syrup before giving the pancakes their well needed flip that sent warm baking smells drifting up the stairs and into Reno's nose to wake him from his slumber.   
  
Turning over on his other side, Reno would start mumbling something about ' 5 more minuets' and stretching out with a yawn (In that specific order.) Before discarding the blanket and leaving the comfort of the warm bed he would snake down the stars and smile at the warm breakfast greeting him, as well as Tifa's greeting of a smile and hug before the two would sit down at the table and Tifa would laugh as he wolfed down his food at an alarming rate.   
  
Laughing and talking over the delectable breakfast in the cozy warm kitchen, day in and day out, now that seemed very real to him, but this sudden change of place was surreal.   
  
Sighing at the absence of the warm breakfast, the smile and the happier of hugs, Reno moved to get up and fix a breakfast of his own, that would most likely consist of a cold cereal of sorts, or would have if Tifa didn't suddenly jump up off the chair like she was just electrocuted. Reno sent her a quizzical and concerned glace, but she purposely missed it as she started puttering around the kitchen trying to busy herself with something, /anything./   
  
"Teef..." Reno started to say, his voice in an almost pleading tone.   
  
"What?!" She spat, turning around and glaring at him from across the table at his suddenly hurt expressing her own softened. "Sorry....just...sorry..." she began, in a much weaker tone.   
  
Being a novice in the area of sympathy, and that of the after-suicide talks, he thought for a moment, all the words were clear in his head, yet they came out in a near whisper of a tone laden with pauses. "Teef...are you...are you okay?"   
  
"Yeah..." She said, pausing to dig up that fake smile of hers as she added in a much chipper tone "Im okay, just great in fact, oh and do you want scrambled eggs for breakfast?"   
  
"No, no your not okay..." Was his reply, as he pressed on like she would if it was him in this situating and needed one of her famous talking-to's that they would have every so often when she saw something was not right with him, if it was about his past of future she always was there to offer some kind words.   
  
"I told you /Im fine/" She said, with that 'shut up' tone of voice, "And we need some jam and toast with the eggs..." Turning to the fridge she opened it with much more force then needed to open a fridge -now if it was to pull an elephant that would make more sense- and then she make it a small rescue operation for the jam, and if it was not a rescue operation of sorts it was taking her a awful lot of time to get that one jar of jam.   
  
"Please Tifa, its alright to be sad, c'mon....sit down for a sec...." Reno said, it was obvious to him she was not alright, so forcing himself into those witty and humorous thoughts he said them aloud, as if to lift some of the invisible storm clouds that had materialize themselves in the kitchen with its yellow golden-rod wall paper. "And breakfast should be cooked with /love/, not misplaced anger and depression." He said, plastering a silly smile on his face. "It'll make the eggs taste bad." He added as an afterthought, and for the moment the clattering in the fridge stopped.   
  
"Okay, there's no jam...so maybe some muffins...." Was Tifa's delayed reply, as she slammed the fridge and flung open the cupboards searching for muffins as Reno mentally kicked himself in the head.   
  
"Forget the food, Im not hungry anyways." He said, walking over to where Tifa was and leaning to one side, using his right hand to balance and shut the cupboard as well.  
  
"You have to eat, there was no dinner last night after all..." She said, looking down at her feet to purposely avoid his gaze.  
  
"I'll get my appetite back after we talk." Reno stated, moving aside and pulling out a chair at the table for her, Tifa didn't sit down.  
  
"We are talking." Was her response, in another 'just shut up /please/' tone of voice.  
  
"Hey, witty responses are my job," He said with a smirk, "And you know what I mean."  
  
Tifa let out a long and annoyed sigh as she dropped down onto the chair, crossing her arms and letting them rest on the worn out table as her untied and nearly dried hair sprayed out in all directions. "I know what you mean and I also know there's nothing to talk about."  
  
"Ha, yeah right there's nothing to talk about." He said, wanting more then anything for her to just come out and say it so he wont have to, a long silence and the annoyed glare was all Tifa gave him to work with, so he decided to right out and say it. "One of your good friends-"  
  
"He's not a friend of mine." And she made it a point he wasn't by keeping the same glare plastered on her face, but at the mention of Cloud there was -even just for a moment- a flicker of sadness and happiness in her eyes, both at the same time too.  
  
"Really?" He asked, pressing on anyways, as he took the seat across from her, leaning his elbow on the table to hold up his head, the fiery locks collecting beads of water at the tips as the drops spattered on the table.  
  
"Yes." Tifa said, this time the 'shut UP' voice was stronger, but her gaze still met the table and not his eyes.  
  
"Do you really mean that?" Asked Reno, remembering all the times he saw the two together when he was still a Turk, 'yeah, not a friend my ass...' he bitterly thought, before realizing the person in question was dead and that was that.   
  
Silence, save for the constant soft sounds of ticking and tocking emitting from the clock, the room was fully illuminated now bursting with the suns warm rays that faded the past nights nightmares until they are nothing more then a blurry photo.   
  
In this case that was not so, no matter how much the two wished it.   
  
".....no." Was all Tifa needed to say before blinking back the flow of tears hidden beneath her eyes, like the raging waters are stilled by dams, but eventually the force of the water is too great, and thing crumble.   
  
The dam crumbles, the emotional walls crumble, and the smile crumbled all at once before his eyes as tears burst free and flowed down her pale cheek.   
  
And sadness turned to anger in the blink of an eye, or in this case the flick of a match in Tifa's eyes blazing with flames of hatred.   
  
"But he's nothing anymore!! He left, just got up and left me!! And if that's not enough for him he has to...to...to leave this world altogether!!"   
  
Tifa shock her head from side to side, locks of her long hair shimmered as they caught the dawns light as did the tears leaving her cheeks at the force of the movement.   
  
"Why? Just why?! Why do that, its so selfish its so....so fuckin stupid!!"   
  
At this time she was standing up rigid with her hands balled into fists at her sides, screaming out those words and a each left her tongue that only made it more final.   
  
"How could he??! After everything we went through?! I was scared and I was lonely but I smiled and I lived!! I lived each day and I lived it for them!! Didn't he think for one second what he was leaving behind?!? No!!"   
  
Her body was shaking with rage as more tears left her eyes now red from crying, Reno stood up automatically as she brought her head up from the floor to eye level.   
  
"You know what? I hate him!! I hate you Cloud Stife!!"   
  
And with those last four magic words the spell of silence was once restored onto the kitchen as the words from Tifa's mouth shocked her to the point where she collapsed onto the kitchen floor on her knees, shaking, crying and unable to believe this was real. She stuttered to produce words and started to mumble every so slightly.   
  
"No, its not real, it's a dream. A nightmare. I will open my eyes and everything will be okay." 

"...Right?"

  
  
"...My eyes /are/ open..." 

"...Wrong...life is a nightmare...."  
  
Lost in her thoughts Tifa was vaguely aware Reno had crossed over the table and pulled her into a warm embrace, his strong arms wrapped around her shaking figure trying to protect her from her thoughts, his warm chest pressed against her own and his if his face was not hidden under fiery red bangs or off to the side Tifa would have realized he was crying as well, his mouth opened and closed several times as he searched for words that came out in a barely heard whisper.  
  
"Teef....its okay..."  
  
"No its not...everythings falling apart...."  
  
"Please, then don't let yourself fall apart too...."  
  
"...everything leaves..."  
  
"No."  
  
"...and, what?"  
  
"Im still here."  
  
"......."  
  
"I'll always be here for you Tifa, I promise I wont ever leave."  
  
"Reno...."  
  
"....."  
  
"....thank you."  
  
Reno turned his head, and was greeted with the warm, happy, smiling face of Tifa Lockheart. With only one glimpse he could tell she was finally at peace despite all this she could smile, she could /feel/. The corners of his lips turned up instantly into a smile against her soft lips in a kiss. Standing up they walked out of the kitchen hand in hand and out the door to greet the fresh morning sun and the soft chirping of the birds.

  
  
And they knew that whatever happened they would make it through, two people that life had kicked around through the dirt, throwing whatever it could at them as if trying to make them break, those two people had picked each other up out of the darkness and back into the daylight that was so overlooked before.   
  
Once both cast aside and left alone and forgotten. Together at last.

* * *

The End. 

Thank you to all reviewers and readers of this story, it was very fun writing it and I hope you enjoyed it as much as I did. Special thanks to Jaysinya for all the reviews and encouragement to keep on writing!


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